My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org

SPENCER, HUXLEY, AND OTHERS 255" I begin the second reading to-night—not aloud— ok no !" With our best Salaam to the Lady, I remain" Thine in amity,"Theodosius Purland."The last I have was an anecdote of animal sagacity,a subject then being discussed in the papers, and ofwhich he had given me some examples. I give aprint of it, as it is a good example of his caricaturedrawing and of one of his fantastic signatures.Our pleasant intimacy came to an end in a mostabsurd manner. Dr. Purland was, as I have said, apowerful and enthusiastic mesmerist, and had givenhis services for many surgical operations. Just asthe opposition of the chiefs of the medical professionwas dying away, and they were beginning toacknowledge the great value of the mesmeric sleepin alleviating pain and greatly facilitating seriousoperations, the discovery of anaesthetics offered arival, which, though much more dangerous, was morecertain and more easily applied in emergencies, andthis led to the discontinuance of the use of mesmerismas a remedial agent. This naturally disgusted Dr.Purland, who, with the whole energy of his character,hated chloroform, ether, and nitrous-oxide gas, andwould have nothing to do with them in his profession.Besides, he despised any one who could not bear thepain of tooth-drawing, and would turn away any patientwho required the gas to be administered. A yearor two after the date of his last letter I had occasionto approach him in his professional capacity.Entirelyforgetting his objections, which, in fact, I had hardlybelieved to be real, after making an appointment Iasked him to get a doctor to administer.nitrous-oxide,